Hypodermic syringe



Dec. 27, 1955 z ROEHR HYPODERMIC SYRINGE Filed Nov. 5, 1951 INVENTOR. 25/54) /Z Eat/1K. BY 4 5 c 4r AA HYPODERMIC SYRINGE Zbislaw M. Roehr, Waterbury, Conn. Application November 5, 1951, Serial No. 254,834 Claims. (Cl. 128-218) This invention relates to a hypodermic syringe of the ampoule or cartridge type. It is a general object of the invention to provide an improvedhypodermic syringe of the cartridge type by means of which various drugs, serums and the like, may be conveniently, rapidly and aseptically injected.

More particularly the invention is directed to providing a cartridge type syringe which conveniently and readily lends itself to the aseptical administration of mass immunization injections, i. e., where for example injections are injected seriatim to persons of a large group to combat the spread of an epidemic or as preventive therapy.

In such mass treatment, it is necessary of course, that the hypodermic needle and the liquid to be injected be absolutely sterile for each patient. With hypodermic syringes of the cartridge type it has been customary to have the individual cartridge and needles prepared and packaged in sterile condition ready for use in the syringe body or barrel. In such mass injections, extreme care must be used to insure that neither the needle nor the cartridge which has just been employed in the injection of one patient, in any manner be permitted to con taminate the syringe body or barrel during the removal of the used needle and cartridge therefrom. Further aseptic precautions require that a freshly inserted sterile cartridge and newly mounted sterile needle be brought into cooperative association with the cartridge holder without the needle proper contacting any portion of the latter during such insertion and mounting lest the parts be rendered unsterile and unfit for use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hypodermic syringe in which a protecting, aseptic needle container element thereof serves also as a piston operating plunger for the syringe and, in cooperation with the syringe barrel during the assembling of the needle thereon, insures that the needle is brought with positive guidance into conductive association with the aseptic contents of the cartridge contained in the barrel and fixedly but removably mounted upon the latter in a ready, facile and aseptic manner which is substantially foolproof against chance of contamination.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a hypodermic syringe of the cartridge type a construction of a type whereby chances of the needle or the medicament content of .the cartridge becoming contaminated are materially lessened and the necessity for using that unusual care, heretofore necessary, in assembling or disassembling the syringe to preclude against the possibility of such contamination is markedly reduced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hypodermic syringe having a readily adjustable latch for locking the medicament cartridge within the barrel so as to provide for aspirating operations.

Other objects, features, innovations, elements and combinations of my invention will be discernible from the following description which is to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a sectional side elevation of my improved nited States Patent 0 combination protective aseptic needle container, mounting device and plunger,

Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing in dotted lines a protective, aseptic needle container, in that position that it occupies with respect to the syringe barrel in assembling the needle thereupon and in full lines in that position that it occupies in the syringe assembly when serving as a plunger for operation of the cartridge piston,

Fig. 4 is a detailed plan'view of a preferred form of a cartridge latch mechanism,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a modified form of said cartridge latch mechanism,

Fig. 6 is a fragmental sectional elevation taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective view of a medicament containing cartridge of the type used with my improved syringe.

Referring to Fig. 3, the hypodermic syringe includes a cartridge-holder body or barrel 10 of cylindrical, tubular stock preferably of light, inexpensive material such as an aluminum alloy or the like and having an internal diameter such as permits of an easy sliding insertion therewithin of a cartridge 11; the latter containing the medicament, serum or other liquid that is to be injected. Cartridge 11 (see also Fig. 7) is usually formed of a cylindrical glass tube closed at one end by a shouldered stopper 12 of rubber or like material adapted to be pierced by one end of a hypodermic needle as will hereinafter appear. Interiorly of cartridge 11, adjacent its opposite end, a piston 13 seals the medicament or other liquid within the cartridge. An outwardly projecting threaded shank 14 aflixed to be threadably engaged by a after more fully described.

The lower end of barrel 10 has mounted therein a cylindrical, internally threaded ferrule 16 shouldered as at 17. The external surface of the enlarged portion of the ferrule which lies below shoulder 17 meets substantially flush, circumferentially, with the external surface of barrel 10 whereas the reduced portion of the barrel lying above shoulder 17 fits snugly within the interior of the barrel withshoulder 17 abutting against the lower end of the barrel as shown in Fig. 3. Ferrule 16 is afiixed to the barrel as by swaging, brazing or the like. The diameter of the internally threaded portion of ferrule 16 is only slightly less than the internal diameter of barrel 10. Hence it will be seen that in comparison with conventional syringe barrels of the type presently in general use and having reduced tips on their needleengaging ends, a relatively wide open throat is provided for receiving the inner end of the hypodermic needle and chances for needle contamination thereby materially reduced. The upper end of ferrule 16, however, does provide a relatively narrow but nevertheless sufiicient shoulder or ledge against which the lower face of stopper 12 abuts when cartridge 11 is inserted within the barrel as shown in Fig. 3 to thereby provide a limiting stop for positively positioning cartridge 11 within barrel 10. It will be understood, of course, that if desired barrel 10 can be made of one piece, i. e., with the ferrule 16 configuration formed integrally therewith.

The upper end of barrel 10 is provided with a pair of outwardly projecting, horizontally disposed, finger pieces 18 formed integrally with the barrel and having curved outer ends as shown in Fig. 4. A latch 19 of flat, light stock is mounted for sliding movement on the upper sur faces of finger pieces 18 and is held in light frictional engagement with said upper surfaces by a spaced cap plate 20 (see also Fig. 4). The lower under edges of view taken along line member 15 to be hereinthe piston is adapted to plate 20 are crimped into engagement with the undersurfaces of finger pieces 18 adjacent their peripheral edges so as to hold latch 19 in mounted slidable relation upon finger pieces 18. A corrugated thumb button 21 embossed in latch 19 projects upwardly through an elongate opening 22 provided in cap plate 20 to facilitate shifting of the latch from the leftward position-as viewed in Fig. 3, slightly to the right. Approximately centrally of latch 19 there is provided a circular opening 23 of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of cartridge 11, the opening being so positioned in latch 19 that it lies in coaxial alignment with the interior of barrel and a similar opening 23a in plate when latch 19 is moved to its extreme leftward position as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4. When, however, latch 19 is moved slightly to the right, opening 23 is moved out of alignment with opening 23a and the interior of barrel 10 so that a portion of the latch overlies the upper end of cartridge 11 and thereby locks cartridge 11 against longitudinal movement within barrel 10 until such time as latch 19 is restored to its initial position, i. e., the position where opening 23 is in alignment with opening 23:: and the interior of barrel 10 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

While the form of cartridge locking latch just described is preferred, if desired, a simpler and less expensive form may be employed such as, for example, that form of latch shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Referring now to these figures, the modified latch comprises a flat piece of stock 24 shaped to conform generally with the upper flanged end of barrel 1% and the oppositely disposed finger pieces 18. Piece 24 is provided with a central opening 25 corresponding to the opening 23 of latch 19. Downwardly and inwardly turned ears 26 formed on oppositely disposed projections 27 of piece 24 frictionally embrace the opposite sides and under edges of finger pieces 18 to provide means for slidably but securely mounting piece 24 for sliding movement in the manner just described in connection with latch'19, i. e., from a position where opening 25 lies in coaxial alignment with the interior of barrel 1% to the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7 wherein piece 24 is effective to lock an inserted cartridge 11 against longitudinal movement within the barrel. While this modified form of latch is equally effective to perform the locking operation, it is not quite as desirable from an appearance standpoint as the preferred form shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Member 15 serves a threefold purpose in the present invention, namely:

As a protective and aseptic container for the hypodermic needle; as a tool which, in cooperation with barrel it), provides a means for inserting the hypodermic needle readily and aseptically into conductive association with the aseptic cartridge contents and mounting the needle upon the syringe barrel ill in a manner which is substantially foolproof against contamination; and as a plunger for piston 13. The structure and functions of member 15 will now be described in detail. The member comprises a cylindrical, tubular casing having a lower portion 28 of reduced diameter which serves as a sheath for spacedly enclosing the lower portion of a hypodermic needle 29 and a slightly enlarged intermediate portion 39 formed to embrace like a socket wrench, a nut or like formation 31 formed on an externally threaded nipple 32 that is afiixcd to needle 29 intermediate its sharply pointed, oppositely disposed ends. The: external threads of nipple 32 are threadably engageable with the internal threads of the internally threaded portion of ferrule 16. Above the intermediate portion 30, member 15 is formed with a slightly enlarged cylindrical well 33 for spacedly encasing the upper end of the needle. The upper end of well 33 terminates in a circumferential, horizontally disposed flange 34, the internal diameter of the well being such that it may be telescopically mounted with a slight sliding clearance over the exterior of barrel 10. The formation ofthe wrench-like portion with respect to the nut 31 of nipple 32 is such as will cause these parts to have a slight frictional engagement so that any casual longitudinal movement of the needle assembly 29-32 within member 15 is prevented and any attendant danger to the points of the needle is thereby definitely precluded.

The dimension X between the upper face of flange 34 and the upper end of needle 29, when the needle is positioned within member 15 as shown in Fig. l, is substantially at least one half that of the diameter of the interior of well portion 33 of member 15. The lower end 35 of the sheath portion 28 is closed as shown and is provided with an interiorly threaded bore 36 adapted to threadably engage shank 14 when member 15 is mounted in its plunger capacity thereupon as shown in full lines in Fig. 3. A stopper 37 of rubber or other suitable material is inserted in the upper end of well 33 and seats flat upon flange 34 as shown to provide a thoroughly sealed chamber for containing the needle in aseptic condition within member 15.

In operation, first, a cartridge 11 containing the medicament to be injected is inserted in barrel 10, the latch 19 having been moved into position to centralize its opening 23 with the interior of barrel 10. The latch is then moved slightly to the right as viewed in Fig. 3 to lock the cartridge against longitudinal movement in the barrel. Next, stopper 37 is removed from member 15 and the well end 33 of the container is slid, telescopically, over the lower end of barrel 10 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The dimension X with respect to the diameter of well 33 and barrel 10 is such as compels the coaxial alignment of these parts before any material entrance of even the lower edge or corner of barrel 10 into well 33 can be elfected hence, and especially in view of the expansive width of the opening in ferrule 16, any risk of needle 29 touching barrel 10 with the attendant possible contamination of the needle during such assembly operation is positively prevented. By the construction and arrangement just described there is provided a substantially foolproof guide means for insuring the introduction of the inner end of needle 29 in a more or less casual manner into position for efiecting communication with the contents of cartridge 11 without remote possibility of any contamination whatsoever to any of the parts or to the medicament, it being understood that this assumes the cartridge 11 being'received within barrel 10 in sterile condition.

Upon an easy inward thrust upon member 15 the inner end of the needle pierces stopper 12 and thereafter, upon a slight rotative movement being imparted to the container-plunger 15, nut 31 is turned by intermediate portion 33 to cause nipple 32 to threadably engage the threads of ferrule 16 and securely lock the needle in operative position upon barrel 10. Following this, member 15, having served its purpose as a needle mounting guide and affixing tool, is withdrawn from over barrel 10 and the bore 36 of the member is threaded upon shank 14 of piston 13 as shown in full lines in Fig. 3 in which position, member 15 serves as a piston-operating plunger.

The syringe is now ready for administering the injection. Following insertion of the needle into the patient. plunger 15 may be withdrawn slightly (it being remembered that latch 19 is in effective position to hold cartridge 11 against movement) to determine by aspiration whether the insertion made by the needle is intravenous or extravenous and, dependent upon the type of injection that is to be given, the injection may now be forthwith completed or .the needle reinserted and aspiration repeated until the desired condition is met for such completion. Referring to Fig. 3 it is seen that the relatively wide opening of well 33 admits depression of a substantial portion of. the users thumb pad therein as marginal portions of said pad engage the fiat peripheral flange 34 whereby a secure non-slip, positive engagement is aiforded for imparting the injection thrust upon member 15 while it is used in its plunger capacity. Upon completion of the injection, the parts are easily disassembled, a new aseptic cartridge inserted in barrel and locked therein by latch 19, stopper 37 removed from a new needle containing member and a new needle mounted upon barrel 10 in the manner above described to proceed with the next injection. Used members 15 and needles 29 may either be thrown away or be resterilized and assembled into a fresh aseptic needle-containing package.

It will be observed that by the provision of the telescopic guide afforded by the Well 33 cooperation with the external surface of the lower end of barrel 10 the necessity for utilizing time-consuming and extreme care in order to maintain the parts aseptic during their assembly into operative association is obviated and that the mode of assembly afforded by the construction and dcsign of the parts together with their functional cooperation renders a cartridge type of syringe combination that is substantially foolproof against contamination.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described, it is obvious that modifications may be made therein and it is not desired to limit the invention otherwise than is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hypodermic syringe comprising, in combination, a cartridge having a piston seal at one end and a needlepierceable seal at its opposite end; a cartridge-receiving, open-ended, barrel having a needle-securing abutment shoulder on one end engaging said needle-pierceable sealed end of said cartridge; said shouldered end of said barrel having an opening therein substantially as large as said cartridge-receiving open end of said barrel; a hypodermic needle having oppositely disposed pointed ends; needle mounting means fixed to said needle intermediate its ends and removably securing said needle to said barrel; a tubular member completely containing said needle and having a portion intermediate its ends formed to embrace said needle mounting means in such manner as to support said needle in spaced relation within said member; said tubular member being formed and adapted at oneof its ends to slidably embrace and embracing said barrel with slight sliding clearance and aseptically guiding one end of said needle during the mounting operation of said needle upon said barrel spacedly through said opening in said shouldered end of said barrel into piercing engagement with said needle-pierceable seal of said cartridge; said formed intermediate portion of said tubular member serving also as a Wrench-like means for securing said needle mounting means on said shouldered end of said barrel; and said tubular member having piston-engaging means provided at its opposite end adapted to engage said piston seal of said cartridge and serve as an actuating plunger therefor.

2. A hypodermic syringe according to claim 1, and wherein fingerpieces are formed adjacent the open end of said barrel and latch means associated with said fingerpieces are movable thereon into a position for to movably locking said cartridge within said barrel.

3. A hypodermic syringe of the cartridge type comprising, in combination, a medicament containing cartridge having a piston seal at one end and a needlepierceable seal at its opposite end, a cartridge barrel having an opening at one end equal in diameter to its bore and containing said cartridge, said barrel having an opening at its opposite end substantially equal in diameter to its bore but with a threaded shoulder thereon forming an abutment for said pierceable sealed end of said cartridge, a hypodermic needle having oppositely disposed pointed ends and threaded securing means afiixed to said needle intermediate its ends threadably engaging said threaded shoulder, a tubular member longer than said needle and containing said needle in spaced relation therein, said member having a reduced closed end and an enlarged open end and a portion intermediate said ends positively engaging said threaded securing means, said open end of said member being telescopically and removably mounted upon the shouldered end of said barrel and cooperating with said barrel in such manner as aseptically and positively guides one end of said needle spacedly through said open-shouldered end of said barrel into piercing engagement with said pierceable seal of said cartridge preparatory to effecting the threaded engagement of said threaded securing means with said threaded shoulder.

4. A hypodermic syringe of the cartridge type comprising, in combination, a medicament containing cartridge having a piston seal at one end and a needlepierceable seal at its opposite end, a barrel having said cartridge therein and having an opening at one end slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of said cartridge, the opposite end of said barrel being substantially equal in diameter to said cartridge but formed with a threaded shoulder thereon serving as an abutment for said pierceable sealed end of said cartridge, a hypodermic needle having oppositely disposed pointed ends, threaded securing means aflixed to said needle intermediate its ends and threadably engaging said threaded shoulder, a tubular member longer than said needle having a reduced closed end and an enlarged open end and a portion intermediate said ends positively but removably engaging said threaded securing means and supporting said needle in completely contained but spaced relation within said member, cap means sealing said open end of said tubular member and removable therefrom, said open end of said member being of such diameter as to be and being telescopically slid over the shouldered end of said barrel following removal of said cap means therefrom and cooperating with said barrel during such sliding movement to aseptically and positively guide one end of said needle spacedly through said open-shouldered end of said barrel into piercing engagement with said pierceable seal of said cartridge preparatory to threadably engaging said threaded securing means with said threaded shoulder.

5. A hypodermic syringe of the class described comprising, in combination, a cartridge receiving barrel having open ends, the opening in one of said ends being of only slightly less diameter than the interior diameter of said barrel to provide a shoulder for engaging one end of a cartridge inserted within said barrel and simultaneously providing maximum clearance for passage of a hypodermic needle therethrough, a hypodermic needle having its opposite ends pointed, a nipple having a nut portion and being affixed to said needle intermediate its ends, said nipple threadably engaging said open end of said barrel, a tubular member longer than said needle having one end closed and an enlarged well portion at its opposite end telescopically mounted over said open end of said barrel, said member having a wrench-like portion intermediate its ends adapted to frictionally engage said nut portion of said nipple and support said needle in completely spaced relation from all surfaces of and encased within said member, the upper end of said well portion terminating beyond one end of said needle with respect to the diameters of said well portion and said barrel a distance sutficient to preclude possibility of said needle touching said barrel whereby said needle is aseptically and positively guided centrally through said open end of said barrel into communication with the contents of the cartridge contained therein preparatory to threadably securing said nipple to said barrel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

